Stalk-cutter.



No.-847,144- PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907. T. M. YARBROUGH & R. G. BRADLEY.

STALK CUTTER.

APPLIOATION FILED mm 1, 1906.

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gE/VTOl-M TODD M.YARB OUGH RICHARD BRADLEY W/ NESSES ATTOHNE rs IN0.a47', 144. v PATENTED MAR.12, 1907.

T. MLYARBROUGH & R. c. BRADLEY.

STALK CUTTER.

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W/TN ss s I i TODD M.YARBROUGH. 1 RICHARD (2.513%

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unrrnD STATES PATENT orrion.

TODD M. YARBROUGH AND RICHARD C. BRADLEY, OF BOSSIER PARISH,

LOUISIANA.

STALK-CUTTER.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed June 1, 1906. Serial No. 319,713.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ToDD M. YARBROUGH and RICHARD O. BRADLEY, citizensof the United States, both residing in Bossier parish, Louisiana,(post-office address Vanceville, Louisiana,) have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Stalk- Cutters, of which .the following is aspecification.

Our invention is in the nature of a machine to be drawn across a fieldby a double team for the purpose of cutting into small pieces thestanding stalks of cotton, corn, &c., after the crop has been harvested;and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts,which we will now proceed to describe with reference to the drawing, inwhich Figure 1 is a rear end elevation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig.3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of one of thecuttingrollers, and Fig. 5 is a rear elevation showing a modification.

In Fig. 1, A A represent two vertical and parallel rollers which aremounted at top and bottom in adjustable bearings held inplace on anupright frame Q. The bearings E, E, and E for each roller are all in onepiece arranged to slide horizontally on the top of frame Q and are eachheld fast with a set-screw F. Bearings E and E hold the horizontal shaftD in place and are adjustable with top of roller A. The frame Q is ofrectangular shape of four bars fastened solidly together to hold thebearings for the rollers. The frame Q is carried on axles R by means ofadjustable slides O, which can be slipped up and down on the verticalmembers of the frame and are held to place with set-screws P. Wheels Iand I are held on the axles with set-collars on each side, allowing themto be adjusted laterally to suit conditions. Fastened to the inner sideof each wheel I is a sprocket-wheel H and from H runs an endless chain Jto a smaller sprocket G on the end of shaft D. The chain J is tightenedwith idler K, which is held on arm L, attached to frame Q. A slot in thearm L allows for movement of idler K to tighten chain, as seen in Fig.2.

M, Fig. 1, is a bearing holding the bottom of each roller whose loweraxle ends extend through the bearings M and are provided with heavy sawsN, attached with nuts, so as to revolve with the rollers. fastened torollers A at the bottom, so as to S are hooks i miss each other whenrevolving. These hooks catch the stalks and pull them in to the rollersand help to break the bottom part of the stalks. B and O are bevel gearsfastened to rollers A and shafts D. W is the drivers seat. U areswingletrees to hitch the horses to. U U are two parallel tonguesbetween which are set the inclined guards T T, Fig. 3, which converge toform a vertical throat in front of the adjacent cutter-rollers so as toguide the stalks between the same.

The operation of the machine is as followsf The wheels roll on theground on each side 0: the row of cotton or cornstalks. The motion istransmitted from the wheels to shafting D by chains and by the twosprockets H and G. The motion of the shafts D is transmitted to rollersA and A by bevel-gears C and B, thereby making the rollers move at highspeed. The rollers (see Fig. 4) are made in sections 3, of wood or iron,or both, clamped on central shafts and so arranged that the sections canbe removed to allow circular toothed saws Z or cutters to be placedbetween the sections at any given distance apart. Between theroller-sections are formed circular grooves 4 4, which maybe formed byrecessing the edges of the sections, as at 4, or by inserting a smalldisk between the sections, as at 4, as seen in Fig. 4. When the rollersare adjusted close to eachv other, the rollers act as crushers and alsoleave the cutters intact, as the cutters of one roller enter the groovesof the other roller. The dirt-saws N at the bottom of the shaft arearranged to cut the stalks off at the bottom above or below ground, andthese saws may be removed. The end sections at the top and bottom of therollers have a recess 1", Fig. 4, for a small stiff circular collar 1*to lay in, which collar is stationary and is fastened to frame Q or tobearings E and M. The collar is designed to keep the stalks from goingunder the bearings or hanging between the rollers A and frame Q. Theroller-sections are secured together by a clamp-nut on each shaft, andthe saws are held in place with pins or by clamping-nuts, or friction.In Fig. 3 is shown an offset Q in the frame Q, Which sets to the rearand is made to keep anything from clogging in rollers at each end. Thisoffset is at bottom and top and gives clearance to the rollers at thesepoints.- The dotted line (marked Box, Fig. 2) shows how a receiVing-boxwith a dump-bottom can be attached, if needed, to carry the cut-upstalks out to the end of the row. As the horses walk on each side of therow, the wheels 1, following the tracks, allow the cotton to comebetween the horses and enter the guides T, which bring the stalks intouch with the rollers and cutters, which are moving at high speed. Therollers force the stalk through the small space between them, breakingand cutting the stalks to pieces, and the speed of the rollers throwsthe cut-up pieces with considerable force back into the boX and fills itfrom back of the box up to the rollers.

Fig. 5 shows a modification in which the power of the wheels can betransmitted to rollers directly by inclined shafts and bevelgears. Manymodifications of the means for transmitting the power from wheels to therollers may be used.

V, Fig. 5, shows a lever with catch and rack-bar to raise and lower theframe Q, if needed. All gears can be hooded to protect them, and asimilar hood or screen may be provided for, the driver.

l/Vhen the machine is to be transported, the gears are to bedisconnected by any suitable clutches (not shown) and the frame Q, withthe rollers, is tilted to the forwardly-inclined position. (Shown indotted lines in Fig. 2.) The upright or inclined position of the frameand rollers is determined by curve-d braces V connecting the tongues tothe frame and provided with suitable locking devices.

N 3 is a removable plow for dislodging roots. It is attached to thelower part of the frame, as seen in Fig. 2.

The rollers, arranged in a vertical position and moving at a high speed,cut the stalks to any size and crushing them, if needed. The rollers,being adjustable, may be opened or closed at will, making a stalkcutterthat can be changed at will so as to suit the density of the work, aswell as the size of pieces the stalk is cut into. By crushing the stalk,cutting up the same, and delivering it to the end of the row, it isbelieved that the machine will be a great assistance in destroying theboll-weevil, as the stalk is destroyed in its green stage.

The machine requires no more power than any ordinary plow, and istherefore not an expensive machine to operate.

The machine can be used to top and out millet, sorghum, okra, and otherproducts grown in and about plantations and farms and is not limited tocotton and corn.

It is understood that we are not to be limited tonumbers of rollers orany given angle of rollers in building the machine, also the power isnot to be limited to horse-flesh, but that mechanical power can be used.

We claim- 1. A stalk-cutter, comprising two upright parallel shaftsbearing horizontal rotary cutters throughouttheir length, the rotarycutters of one shaft alternating with and extending past the rotarycutters of the other shaft, wheels supporting the same and separategears connecting the wheels to the shafts.

2. A stalk-cutter comprising two upright parallel shafts bearinghorizontal rotary cut-. ters through their length, horizontal shafts atthe upper ends of said upright shafts and connected to and driving thesame, a sup.- porting-frame with running-wheels and separate chain beltsconnecting the runningwheels to the horizontal shafts.

3. A stalk-cutter, comprising two upright parallel shafts bearinghorizontal rotary cut ters throughout their length, the rotary cuttersof one shaft alternating with and extending past the rotary cutters ofthe other shaft, a rectangular frame supporting the same,horizontally-adjustable bearings for each shaft to render themadjustable to and from each other, supporting and driving wheels andgears connecting said wheels to the shafts.

4. A stalk-cutter, comprising two upright parallel shafts bearinghorizontal rotary cutters throughout their length, the rotary cutters ofone shaft alternating with and extending past the rotary cutters of theother shaft, a frame supporting the same, wheels supporting the frameand having each an attached sprocket-wheel, chain belts connect; ingwith the sprocket-wheels, and horizontal shafts at the top of the framehaving their inner ends connected to the rotary cuttershafts and theirouter ends provided with sprocket-wheels connected with the chain belts.

5. A stalk-cutter having a pair of upright rollers constructed withalternating grooves and rotary cutters, the rotary cutters of one rollerentering the grooves of the other roller, and driving-gears andsupporting-wheels for operating the same.

6. A stalk-cutter having a pair of upright shafts with horizontal rotarycutters distributed along their length, the rotary cutters of one shaftalternating with and extending past those of the other shaft, a framesupporting the same, bearings for the upper and lower ends of the shaftsand rotary cutters arranged on the lower ends of the shafts below theirlower bearings, supporting-wheels for the frame and gears connecting thewheels to the cutter-shafts.

7. A stalk-cutter, comprising a pair of upright shafts with horizontalrotary cutters, an upright rectangular frame, axles each having aseparate adjustable connection with the upright members of the frame andprovided with supporting-wheels and gears connecting the said wheels tothe cutter-shafts.

8. A stalk-cutter, comprising a pair of upright shafts with rotarycutters, an upright rectangular frame, axles connecting with-the sidemembers of said frame and bearing supporting-wheels, two upperjournal-frames, each having two bearings for a horizontal .shaft and abearing for the upright cuttershaft, means for adjusting saidtriple-bearing frames horizontally on the rectangular frame, and twohorizontal shafts with gears connecting the supporting-wheels andupright cutter-shafts.

9. A stalk-cutter, comprising two upright shafts with rotary cutters, anupright frame having a rear offset or bend at a point between thecutter-shafts, supporting-wheels for the frame and means for driving thecutter-shafts from the supporting-wheels.

10. A stalk-cutter, comprising two upright rollers made in sections withrotary cutters clamped between the sections and means for driving thesame.

11. A stalk-cutter having two upright parallel shafts with rotarycutters distributed along their length for cutting up the stalks intoshort bits, a frame supporting the same and a root-plow at the lower endof said frame for digging up the roots of the out stumps of the stalks.

12. A stalk-cutter, comprising two upright shafts bearing rotary cuttersalong their length, an upright frame supporting the same, axles withsupporting-wheels connected to the upright frame, gears connecting thewheels with the upright cutter-shafts, two tongues connected to theupright frame and having convergentlyarranged guards or shields betweenthem and draft connections secured to the outer sides of the tongues.

TODD M. YARBROUGH. RICHARD C. BRADLEY.

Witnesses: 0

ROBERT B. HILL, JOANNES SMITH.

